Use action verbs on your resume to describe your experiences. Each category below will give you several verb options and examples of how to add details to your descriptive lines.
Communicating
Before: Presented to transfer students concerning university policies
After: Presented to groups of 30+ transfer students weekly for 8 weeks concerning university policies and procedures
Acted | Adapted | Addressed | Admitted | Advertised |
Allowed | Amended | Arbitrated | Argued | Ascertained |
Authored | Briefed | Clarified | Cleared up | Closed |
Commun- icated |
Composed | Concluded | Confronted | Consented |
Consulted | Convinced | Corresponded | Critiqued | Debated |
Dedicated | Defined | Deliberated | Demonstrated | Drafted |
Drew | Edited | Educated | Elicited | Entertained |
Explained | Extracted | Fabricated | Fashioned | Greeted |
Highlighted | Illustrated | Improvised | Indicated | Informed |
Instructed | Interpreted | Interviewed | Justified | Lectured |
Marketed | Mediated | Moderated | Negotiated | Perceived |
Persuaded | Photographed | Presented | Publicized | Published |
Queried | Questioned | Quoted | Referred | Reinforced |
Related | Rendered | Reported | Represented | Responded |
Revealed | Rewrote | Sanctioned | Settled | Shaped |
Sold | Solicited | Specified | Spoke | Stated |
Submitted | Substan- tiated |
Suggested | Summarized | Supplemented |
Supported | Surveyed | Synthesized | Systematized | Taught |
Tested | Transcribed | Transmitted | Verified | Welcomed |
Wrote |
Executing
Before: Handled customer calls
After: Handled 20-35+ customer calls per shift regarding coverage changes, renewal rates, and billing procedures
Acted | Administered | Awarded | Billed |
Bought | Brought | Carried out | Chose |
Collected | Completed | Conducted | Displayed |
Distributed | Diverted | Entered | Exercised |
Executed | Exhibited | Filtered | Forwarded |
Handled | Input | Installed | Insured |
Labored | Merchandised | Operated | Participated |
Performed | Processed | Produced | Proofed |
Prospected | Proved | Reformed | Serviced |
Shipped | Sold | Stocked | Transacted |
Transferred |
Helping
Before: Chaired the student Event Promotions Committee
After: Chaired student Event Promotions Committee of 12 members and presented marketing plans to an average of 50 students at weekly university senate meeting
Accommodated | Advocated | Advised | Aided |
Alleviated | Assisted | Assured | Attended |
Bolstered | Coached | Conditioned | Continued |
Cooperated | Counseled | Dealt | Elevated |
Enabled | Endorsed | Enhanced | Enriched |
Familiarized | Helped | Interceded | Intervened |
Mobilized | Modeled | Played | Polished |
Prescribed | Protected | Provided | Rehabilitated |
Rescued | Saved | Served | Sustained |
Tended | Tutored | Validated |
Getting Results
Before: Increased student participation
After: Increased student participation by 25% over a 6-month period by advertising with campus partners
Accomplished | Achieved | Added | Adopted |
Advanced | Attained | Augmented | Boosted |
Built | Combined | Completed | Consolidated |
Constructed | Contributed | Delivered | Demonstrated |
Diminished | Earned | Effected | Eliminated |
Enlarged | Enlisted | Ensured | Excelled |
Expanded | Expedited | Extended | Finalized |
Fulfilled | Gained | Generated | Grew |
Guaranteed | Hastened | Heightened | Improved |
Increased | Innovated | Integrated | Introduced |
Invented | Joined | Located | Orchestrated |
Overcame | Perfected | Prevailed | Produced |
Qualified | Realized | Received | Reduced (losses) |
Rejuvenated | Renovated | Restored | Resulted in |
Surpassed | Targeted | Uncovered |
Leading
Before: Chaired the student Event Promotions Committee
After: Chaired student Event Promotions Committee of 12 members and presented marketing plans to an average of 50 students at weekly university senate meetings
Accelerated | Affected | Assumed | Caused |
Chaired | Changed | Conducted | Directed |
Disproved | Elected | Employed | Empowered |
Encouraged | Enlisted | Envisioned | Fostered |
Founded | Governed | Guided | Headed |
Hired | Influenced | Initiated | Inspired |
Involved | Launched | Led | Managed |
Mastered | Mentored | Minimized | Modernized |
Motivated | Obtained | Opened | Originated |
Piloted | Pioneered | Presided | Promoted |
Raised | Recognized | Spearheaded | Stimulated |
Strengthened | Supervised | Trained | Transformed |
Visualized | Won |
Planning
Before: Developed an employee training program
After: Developed and implemented a training program that resulted in a 45% increase in employee satisfaction
Administered | Anticipated | Commissioned | Determined |
Developed | Devised | Drew up | Evaluated |
Forecasted | Formulated | Identified | Observed |
Obtained | Ordered | Organized | Planned |
Prepared | Prioritized | Procured | Programmed |
Proposed | Recruited | Rectified | Researched |
Reserved | Retrieved | Revised | Routed |
Scheduled | Secured | Strategized | Studied |
Tailored |
Organizing
Before: Coordinated office schedules
After: Coordinated weekly office schedules for 8 employees
Acquired | Activated | Adjusted | Aligned |
Allocated | Altered | Appointed | Arranged |
Assembled | Assessed | Assigned | Authorized |
Catalogued | Centralized | Charted | Classified |
Collected | Committed | Confirmed | Contracted |
Copied | Coordinated | Customized | Delegated |
Designated | Designed | Dispatched | Established |
Facilitated | Implemented | Incorporated | Instituted |
Issued | Linked | Logged | Mapped |
Organized | Reorganized | Selected | Simplified |
Sorted | Sought | Straightened | Structured |
Suggested | Tracked | Unified |
Quantifying
Before: Wrote weekly inventory reports
After: Wrote an average of 10 weekly quantity reports to track inventory and invoice customers
Accounted for | Appraised | Approximated | Audited |
Balanced | Budgeted | Calculated | Calibrated |
Checked | Compiled | Compounded | Computed |
Conserved | Converted | Counted | Dispensed |
Dispersed | Earned | Enumerated | Estimated |
Figured | Financed | Grossed | Increased |
Inventoried | Invoiced | Maximized | Multiplied |
Netted | Predicted | Profited | Projected |
Purchased | Quantified | Rated | Reconciled |
Recorded | Reduced | Tabulated | Totaled |
Upgraded |
Solving Problems
Before: Developed new ordering procedure
After: Streamlined ordering through the implementation of new inventory system, decreasing wait time from 6 to 2 days
Alleviated | Analyzed | Applied | Brainstormed |
Collaborated | Conceived | Conceptualized | Crafted |
Created | Debugged | Decided | Deciphered |
Detected | Determined | Diagnosed | Dissected |
Engineered | Foresaw | Formulated | Gathered |
Imagined | Investigated | Navigated | Recommended |
Remedied | Remodeled | Repaired | Replaced |
Resolved | Revamped | Revitalized | Revived |
Satisfied | Scouted | Sifted | Sketched |
Solved | Streamlined | Surmounted | Synthesized |
Theorized | Unearthed |
Supervising
Before: Implemented new computer filing system
After: Developed and supervised the implementation of new computer filing system that reduced paper use by 35%
Adjusted | Analyzed | Apportioned | Assessed |
Certified | Compared | Controlled | Corrected |
Correlated | Developed | Discovered | Enforced |
Established | Examined | Explored | Graded |
Indexed | Inspected | Judged | Licensed |
Maintained | Measured | Modified | Monitored |
Officiated | Overhauled | Oversaw | Policed |
Refined | Regulated | Reviewed | Revised |
Screened | Scrutinized | Supervised | Supplied |
Tightened | Traced | Updated |
Teaching
Before: Worked on a PTA parent volunteer program
After: Collaborated with the PTA to design and implement a parent volunteer program increasing involvement by 50% of parents of students from underrepresented populations
Adapted | Administered | Advised | Aided |
Anticipated | Assessed | Clarified | Coached |
Collaborated | Collected | Communicated | Conducted |
Coordinated | Co-taught | Critiqued | Decreased |
Designed | Developed | Empowered | Enabled |
Encouraged | Engaged | Evaluated | Explained |
Facilitated | Focused | Guided | Implemented |
Increased | Individualized | Informed | Initiated |
Instilled | Instructed | Managed | Modeled |
Motivated | Partnered | Persuaded | Reduced |
Reflected | Set goals | Simulated | Stimulated |
Taught | Tested | Tracked | Trained |
Transmitted | Tutored |
Adapted from the University of Iowa Pomerantz Career Center Career Guide.